Blah, blah, blah-exactly the kind of comment I would expect from Wild Rose. I would appreciate it if he stuck around to hear this because it is important.
My constituents have been calling me as of late. They are talking about how the member for Hamilton West voted for the budget. There was a guy from this party who stood up and did not vote for the budget, no sir. We all know what happened to him.
Here is why the member for Hamilton West, yours truly, voted for the budget. I voted for the budget because of its deficit reduction plan. For example, the budget delivers on the red book commitment to reduce the deficit to 3 per cent of GDP, down from 6 per cent when we took office, something we promised to do, something that has been accomplished.
By 1998-99 program spending will be reduced to 12 per cent of GDP, its lowest level in 50 years. Canada's financial requirements will be the lowest of the G-7 nations.